Gary Air Force Base
Encyclopedia
Gary Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force
base located in San Marcos, Texas
. After it was closed, it was redeveloped into San Marcos Municipal Airport
.
, San Marcos was selected as a training site for pilots and became the San Marcos Army Air Field. On 25 August 1943, the 80th Flying Training Wing (Navigation & Glider) was activated at San Marcos as part of Army Air Force Technical Training Command. Over a 2 year period, approximately 10,000 highly trained air navigators were trained there. Shortly after the end of hostilities with Japan
, the Army Air Forces decided to consolidate all navigator training at Ellington Field
near Houston. This consolidation occurred during September 1945, although the school at San Marcos remained open until November when the airfield was closed.
However, with the aid of Congressman Lyndon Johnson and Senator Tom Connally, the facility was reactivated in May 1946 to operate the Army Air Force helicopter and liaison school, which was transferred from Sheppard Field, Texas. With the change in status, San Marcos was reassigned to the Army Air Force Flying Training Command. With the establishment of the United States Air Force in 1947, the facility was renamed San Marcos Air Force Base. The 3585th Pilot Training Wing (Liaison-Helicopter) was activated as the Operational Training Unit on 25 August 1948. The wing remained active until 1 March 1949 when it was inactivated and helicopter training was moved from San Marcos to Waco (later James Connally) AFB. On 31 March, San Marcos AFB was inactivated.
On 15 January 1951, Air Training Command
(ATC) reactivated San Marcos AFB and moved helicopter and liaison training back from Connally AFB. The availability of several small secondary airfields, as well as the hilly, rough terrain around San Marcos (similar to that of Korea) precipitated the change. In addition to the flying training, ATC moved ground helicopter mechanics training to San Marcos from Sheppard AFB to make room for its F-80 and F-89 training. On 1 February 1951, ATC reactivated and assigned the 3585th Pilot Training Wing (Liaison-Helicopter) to San Marcos. With nearly 5000 men on duty, the base was home to the largest helicopter training facility in the nation. It trained mechanics as well as pilots.
On Armed Forces Day, May 16, 1953, the base once again received a new name, the Edward Gary Air Force Base in honor of Lieutenant Arthur Edward Gary, the first Hays County soldier killed in World War II.
In 1956, the Department of Defense
gave the Army
approval to train helicopter pilots and operate liaison aircraft. To accommodate the transfer of training, the Air Force transferred Gary AFB to the Department of the Army in December 1956. Under Army control, the facility underwent yet another name change, one which is still referred to by some locals today, Camp Gary. A civilian contractor trained pilots for fixed wing aircraft until the summer of 1959. In 1963, the base was essentially closed and marked for disposal.
Organized San Marcans fought to save the base, and on November 20, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced in a speech at his alma mater, Southwest Texas State University, that the abandoned Camp Gary would be the site of a new federal vocational training facility called Job Corps. Today it's known as the Gary Job Corps Center, the largest in the nation.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
base located in San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
. After it was closed, it was redeveloped into San Marcos Municipal Airport
San Marcos Municipal Airport
San Marcos Municipal Airport is a public use airport located in Caldwell County, Texas, United States. It is four nautical miles east of the central business district of San Marcos, a city that is mostly in Hays County. The airport is owned by the City of San Marcos and operated by Texas Aviation...
.
History
Shortly after the bombing of Pearl HarborPearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
, San Marcos was selected as a training site for pilots and became the San Marcos Army Air Field. On 25 August 1943, the 80th Flying Training Wing (Navigation & Glider) was activated at San Marcos as part of Army Air Force Technical Training Command. Over a 2 year period, approximately 10,000 highly trained air navigators were trained there. Shortly after the end of hostilities with Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the Army Air Forces decided to consolidate all navigator training at Ellington Field
Ellington Field
Ellington International Airport is a joint civil-military airport located in the U.S. state of Texas within the city of Houston— southeast of Downtown. Established by the Army Air Service on 21 May 1917, Ellington Field was one of the initial World War I Army Air Service installations when...
near Houston. This consolidation occurred during September 1945, although the school at San Marcos remained open until November when the airfield was closed.
However, with the aid of Congressman Lyndon Johnson and Senator Tom Connally, the facility was reactivated in May 1946 to operate the Army Air Force helicopter and liaison school, which was transferred from Sheppard Field, Texas. With the change in status, San Marcos was reassigned to the Army Air Force Flying Training Command. With the establishment of the United States Air Force in 1947, the facility was renamed San Marcos Air Force Base. The 3585th Pilot Training Wing (Liaison-Helicopter) was activated as the Operational Training Unit on 25 August 1948. The wing remained active until 1 March 1949 when it was inactivated and helicopter training was moved from San Marcos to Waco (later James Connally) AFB. On 31 March, San Marcos AFB was inactivated.
On 15 January 1951, Air Training Command
Air Training Command
Air Training Command is a former major command of the United States Army Air Forces and United States Air Force. ATC came into being as a redesignation of the Army Air Forces Training Command on July 1, 1946...
(ATC) reactivated San Marcos AFB and moved helicopter and liaison training back from Connally AFB. The availability of several small secondary airfields, as well as the hilly, rough terrain around San Marcos (similar to that of Korea) precipitated the change. In addition to the flying training, ATC moved ground helicopter mechanics training to San Marcos from Sheppard AFB to make room for its F-80 and F-89 training. On 1 February 1951, ATC reactivated and assigned the 3585th Pilot Training Wing (Liaison-Helicopter) to San Marcos. With nearly 5000 men on duty, the base was home to the largest helicopter training facility in the nation. It trained mechanics as well as pilots.
On Armed Forces Day, May 16, 1953, the base once again received a new name, the Edward Gary Air Force Base in honor of Lieutenant Arthur Edward Gary, the first Hays County soldier killed in World War II.
In 1956, the Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
gave the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
approval to train helicopter pilots and operate liaison aircraft. To accommodate the transfer of training, the Air Force transferred Gary AFB to the Department of the Army in December 1956. Under Army control, the facility underwent yet another name change, one which is still referred to by some locals today, Camp Gary. A civilian contractor trained pilots for fixed wing aircraft until the summer of 1959. In 1963, the base was essentially closed and marked for disposal.
Organized San Marcans fought to save the base, and on November 20, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced in a speech at his alma mater, Southwest Texas State University, that the abandoned Camp Gary would be the site of a new federal vocational training facility called Job Corps. Today it's known as the Gary Job Corps Center, the largest in the nation.
See also
- Texas World War II Army AirfieldsTexas World War II Army AirfieldsIn today's United States Air Force, many personnel have spent some of their military service being trained in Texas during World War II. Be it basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, technical training, officer training, or flight training at other facilities across the state...